Chicago (2002 film)
This is about '''the film.' For the stage musical, see Chicago (musical).'' Chicago is a 2002 film based on the stage musical of the same name. Cast Singing roles *Catherine Zeta-Jones - Velma Kelly *Renée Zellweger - Roxie Hart *Richard Gere - Billy Flynn *John C. Reilly - Amos Hart *Queen Latifah - Matron Mama Morton *Christine Baranski - Mary Sunshine *Susan Misner - Liz *Denise Faye - Annie *Deidre Goodwin - June *Ekaterina Chtchelkanova - Katalin "The Hunyak" Helinski *Mya Harrison - Mona Non-singing roles *'Colm Feore' - DA Martin Harrison *Taye Diggs - The Bandleader *Lucy Liu - Kitty Baxter Plot In 1924, Roxie Hart sees star Velma Kelly perform at a Chicago theater. Wanting stardom for herself, she begins an affair with Fred Casely, who claims to know the manager. After the show, Velma is arrested for killing her husband Charlie and sister Veronica, who were in bed together. A month later, Casely admits to Roxie that he has no showbiz connections and just wanted her body. Enraged, she shoots him dead. She convinces her husband Amos to take the blame, telling him she killed a burglar in self-defense. As Amos confesses to the detective, Roxie fantasizes that she is singing a song devoted to her husband. However, when the detective brings up evidence that Roxie and Casely were having an affair, Amos recants; Roxie furiously admits what really happened and is arrested. Ambitious District Attorney Harrison announces he will seek the death penalty. At Cook County Jail, Roxie is sent to Murderer's Row, under the care of the corrupt matron "Mama" Morton. Roxie meets her idol Velma, but her friendship is rudely rebuffed. She learns the backstories of the other women there. On Morton's advice, Roxie engages Velma's lawyer, the brilliant Billy Flynn. Flynn and Roxie manipulate the press, reinventing Roxie's identity as an originally virtuous woman turned bad by the fast life of the city; she claims she had the affair with Casely because Amos was always working, but repented and dumped him for Amos, and Casely jealously attacked her. The press believe the story; praised by the public as a tragic heroine, Roxie becomes an overnight sensation. Velma, unhappy at losing the public's attention, tries to convince Roxie to join her act, replacing the sister that she murdered, but Roxie, now the more popular of the two rivals, snubs her just as Velma originally did. Meanwhile, Kitty Baxter, a wealthy heiress, is arrested for murdering her husband and his two lovers, and the press and Flynn pay more attention to her. To Velma's surprise, Roxie quickly steals back the fame by claiming to be pregnant. Amos is ignored by the press, and Flynn, to create more sympathy for Roxie, convinces him that the child is Casely's, and that he should divorce Roxie in the middle of her predicament. Roxie over-confidently fires Flynn, believing she can now win on her own. However, when a Hungarian woman from Murderess' Row is hanged, she realizes the gravity of the situation, and re-hires Flynn. Roxie's trial begins and Billy turns it into a media spectacle with the help of the sensationalist newspaper reporters and radio personality Mary Sunshine. Billy discredits witnesses, manipulates evidence, and even stages a public reconciliation between Amos and Roxie when she says the child is his. The trial seems to be going Roxie's way until Velma appears with Roxie's diary: she reads incriminating entries in exchange for amnesty in her own case. Billy discredits the diary, implying that Harrison was the one who planted the evidence. Roxie is acquitted, but her fame dies moments later when a woman shoots her husband just outside the court. Flynn tells her to accept it, and admits that he tampered with her diary himself, in order to incriminate the district attorney and also free two clients at once. Amos remains loyal and excited to be a father, but Roxie cruelly rejects him, revealing that she is not pregnant, and he finally leaves her. Roxie does become a vaudeville performer, but is very unsuccessful. Velma is just as unsuccessful, and again approaches Roxie to suggest performing together: a double act consisting of two murderers. Roxie initially refuses, but later accepts when Velma points out that they can perform together despite their resentment for each other. The two stage a spectacular performance that earns them the love of the audience and the press. The film concludes with Roxie and Velma receiving a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience, and proclaiming that, "We couldn't have done it without you". Musical numbers *"All That Jazz" - Velma and Roxie *"Funny Honey" - Roxie *"When You're Good to Mama" - Mama Morton *"Cell Block Tango" - Liz, Annie, June, Hunyak, Velma and Mona *"All I Care About Is Love" - Billy *"We Both Reached For The Gun" - Billy, Roxie, Mary and Reporters *"Roxie" - Roxie *"I Can't Do It Alone" - Velma *"Mr. Cellophane" - Amos *"Razzle Dazzle" - Billy *"Class" - Velma and Mama *"Nowadays" - Roxie *"Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag" - Velma and Roxie *"All That Jazz" (reprise) - Velma *"I Move On" - Roxie and Velma Category:Musical films